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Trend and Analysis

Assuring the health of the public extends beyond
the health status of individuals; it requires a population health approach. Infant
mortality is a critical indicator of the overall health of a population because
it is directly linked to maternal overall health and the social determinants of
health. Social
determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are
born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of
health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. Healthy People 2020 highlights the importance of
addressing the social determinants of health by including “Create social and
physical environments that promote good health for all” as one of the four
overarching goals for the decade.

There are three programs that address maternal
and infant health and the impact social determinates on their overall health
and well-being. These programs include: Babies Born Healthy (BBH)
which uses Perinatal Navigators who are outreach workers that work closely with
at-risk pregnant women to link to care and support services and to offer health
education with a focus on safe sleep, smoking cessation: Healthy Beginnings
(formerly Infants at Risk and Healthy Start), which supports mothers and their
infants up to age one who are at highest risk of poor health outcomes due to
medical and psychosocial issues and Fetal Infant Mortality Review, which is a
program funded by the State to review infant death records for cause and effect
and to make recommendations to providers and the State. The agency works closely with Prince George’s
Hospital and Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital who are the primary referring
entities. Other hospitals, agencies and
private practices also refer cases.